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Why I think Apollo is Amazing
Apollo is a new platform independent runtime environment that allows us to use tools we already use everyday (html, js, flash, pdf) to build desktop applications. Think of it as Java without the hell that is java. Write your application using tools that are familiar and then delpoy that to users with all the simplicity of a web application. Sounds amazing to me.
However there are some that are willing to argue that this is not that great. They typically have one argument. Everyone is familiar with the browser, why would we want to take people out of it. And to be honest I dont know that traditionally I would. I see Apollo as a way to extend our web applications adding functionality that is not currently available in the browser.
What type of functionality am I talking about? I cant think of a better example than what the brilliant folks at FineTune.com have done. I didnt really get the FineTune experience to begin with. I saw examples were people would create playlists and then embed a swf in their personal page so that users could listen to music while they surfed. But I dont really get that. Although I like seeing what other folks are listening to I dont want to have to keep a browser open to listen. An extension to this is to have users link to their playlists on the FineTune web site. Brandon Ellis just did this and i am listening to his Music to code by playlist right now. But again, I have a problem with listening to music in the browser. One perfect reason for this, is that when I debug my flex apps it totally locks the browser on the mac, so the music stops. But FineTune has a solution to this problem, and it coms in the form of FineTune Desktop.
FineTune Desktop is an Apollo application that allows me to browse and play music from the finetune catalog. This allows me to get around that browser problem (I usually accidentally close the tab that has the music player in it) and have music streaming in the background. This in and of its self is a great application of the product. But the features do not end there. No beyond that when you choose to play a playlist in the browser if you have the FineTune Desktop application running it gives you the option to play it there. So now your web application can communicate with that apollo application on the desktop. THIS BLOWS MY MIND! This is the kind of functionality that I see apollo really making a difference for. Just take a look at this image to see how easy this is. Thanks FineTune for such a great example of the Apollo platform as well as a killer product.
29 Mar 2007 Simeon
Hey Simeon,
Hope you enjoy the playlist.
I really like having the finetune player functionality out of the browser. The problems with accidentally closing, reloading the page, browser lockup.. all pretty much eliminated. It has become a full blown application I can run in he background, set to start up with OS, move in or out of view easily. Much more freedom and accomplishes the whole issue of return visitors and usage. If you give them the tools and delivery the content, the user’s interest will be captured for much longer periods.
And the functionality to know if the user has the external player open? It’s that kind of attention to detail that make the experience so good.
I’ve been trying to determine if/where Apollo fits into my own organization. Right now, I think the best use of it might be as a cross-platform management tool for our CMS. Theoretically it would allow the same experience on both Mac/PC platforms, offline editing, a little more interaction with desktop files, and who knows what else.
But maybe I’m just not thinking outside the box enough quite yet.
Yeah, you point out advantages of desktop apps… and I totally agree that it’s nice to use skills you know when delivering desktop apps. The part I don’t understand is why did Apollo need to come around for people to have an excuse/reason/or even realization that there are uses for desktop apps? If Apollo helps with the deployment and if it keeps up with the sorts of things my clients want then I’m happy to use Apollo. But, it’s not new (being able to make web connected desktop apps) and desktop apps have some serious deployment issues. And, really, I don’t hear about a ton of opportunities to do desktop apps. Having said all this, I’d love to do such apps… you can do cool stuff and it’s fun. (Again, I see the xfer of skills as a nice thing too.)